FORSYTH, Ga. – On February 21, 22 Georgia Department of Corrections’ (GDC) Counselors graduated from the yearlong Addiction Certification Preparation Program (ACPP). The ACCP, facilitated by the GDC Risk Reduction Services’ Substance Abuse Unit, was implemented to help meet the increasing need for certified addiction counselors who are trained and qualified to deliver addiction services to high-risk, high-need offenders.

“We are so proud of the 22 counselors who completed this rigorous preparation program,” said Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier. “The graduates are one step closer to an internationally recognized certification as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors, and I look forward to seeing each of them continue to excel in their career.”

This training program provides 300 education hours required by state certification boards as partial fulfillment toward addiction certification. In addition to 300 education hours, participants are required to obtain 300 hours of clinical supervision and at least 4,000 hours of work experience. Upon completion of the aforementioned requirements, graduates must successfully pass a 150-question exam. When graduates pass the exam, they become Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors, a certification internationally recognized by 78 states and countries through The International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC).

Since the Substance Abuse Unit implemented this program, there have been 58 total graduates. Of the 58 graduates, 30 have become Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors.

The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees.